The limits of the MPC4K

Do you guys know Squarepusher ? those who know and appreciate that kind of absolute complexe crazy drum programming, do you think that the 4000 is capable of such prowess ? i mean do you think the MPC could handle that much complexity or show it's limits ?
As much as i like and respect it , you're not going to chalenge your MPC4K with a hiphop track, now listen to that guy and you'll see what i mean...
for those who don't know who is squarepusher and what is "drill and bass" i strongly recommend to at least give it a try it might just give you the biggest slap in your face ever ! among many other tracks you could try and listen to that :

"Kill Robok" or "Go Spastic" and tell if the MPC can match that !

respect

well i know Chris Clark (Warp artist.....check out Empty Bones if you already haven't) uses an MPC. also Prefuse73/Delarosa and Asora uses the MPC. i realize that while these artist aren't Squarepusher, i think their music is a real testament to the flexing powers of the mpc. i think the mpc is fully capable of accomplishing whatever it is that you're shooting for, even if its the prowless editing madness of Squarepusher. but(!), you're going to have to work for it. just the same as 'they' did. the MPC isn't just a hiphop machine. it just happens to be the 'standard' sampler/seq./drum machine in that particular genre. but, i think that namely because it's such a rhythmic machine, even if it's is being used in such a simple manner. using note repeat (at varying TC's), using the q-links, midi'ing up extra gear, sampling....whatever, you can get that sound.

what is it that makes you 'feel' that this can't be done? i hear Squarepusher and think thats incredible, but never have i thought i need i different machine in order to accomplish that sound. whatever you put into the MPC is what you're working with. now you can slice, re-arrange, reverse, filter and work the sounds to complete obliteration. as well as, maybe getting a Kaoss Pad or something to freak your sounds. whether before sampling or playing or resampling.

simply, it can be done. kids are doin it.


peace

actuel

Some Drilly stuff done on MPC (and other stuff obviously ) http://electro-music.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3613

And don't forget about Plaid and Mouse on Mars!

http://www.warprecords.com/plaid/video.html

Chris Clark free MP3 (not his best though...but still pretty incredible)

http://www.warprecords.com/ography/mp3/diesel_raven.mp3

actuel wrote:
what is it that makes you 'feel' that this can't be done? i hear Squarepusher and think thats incredible, but never have i thought i need i different machine in order to accomplish that sound.
actuel

You're right something is telling me that there is something else beyond the real talent of that guy, and i just can't figure out what is it...and he won't tell anyone...
now i'm not beging for inspiration or a feature that create Squarepusher beats for me, of course you have to work for it ! but i'm just a novice MPC4K user and i'm not that used to it yet and i haven't pushed that machine that far yet to answer my own question.
though i had a "midi buffer full" message two times already with a quite basic pattern and a few filter/pan/volume automation, it skared me a little bit i have to say...
thanks for the links, very cool indeed !

phunk wrote:....
As much as i like and respect it , you're not going to chalenge your MPC4K with a hiphop track, .....

respect

phunk wrote:

actuel wrote:
what is it that makes you 'feel' that this can't be done? i hear Squarepusher and think thats incredible, but never have i thought i need i different machine in order to accomplish that sound.
actuel

You're right something is telling me that there is something else beyond the real talent of that guy, and i just can't figure out what is it...and he won't tell anyone...
now i'm not beging for inspiration or a feature that create Squarepusher beats for me, of course you have to work for it ! but i'm just a novice MPC4K user and i'm not that used to it yet and i haven't pushed that machine that far yet to answer my own question.
though i had a "midi buffer full" message two times already with a quite basic pattern and a few filter/pan/volume automation, it skared me a little bit i have to say...
thanks for the links, very cool indeed !

whose this Squarepusher ?? u got me intrested. any sites i can visit?

c, bruv, u need to hav sum sort of idea of what u want to create.
what u have to do is take that idea (sound, or however u imagine music in yor head) and turn into sound using the tools youve got. thats the main important thing u need. an idea.

u cant just go to your mpc, press this and that and expect it to do wonders.
iam new to the mpc aswel, infact to hardware.

you imho CAN do squarepusher/ aphex twin kindo beats with the 4k. u just have to know the technique

I think the real problem always is that many people are simply too damn lazy. They expect their gear to be creative and do all the hard work. And because it isn't, they're hoping that next OS update will fix it. And when they find out the OS updates are not going to do the expected magic, they get mad, and in the end change gear.

Rob wrote:I think the real problem always is that many people are simply too damn lazy. They expect their gear to be creative and do all the hard work.

can't we ask about the technic of somebody and the potential of a machine without being taxed of laziness ? is it a consent of laziness to be interested in somebody's work ? come on !
Ive never beg anyone to give me ideas either, read my post with attention. And so what have you never been blown away by an artist so you're a bit curious about what gear he uses and how he does it ?
Remember the time when you were a newbie with only 23 post like me


Anyway Dasoof, go to www.warprecords.com to get more info about him and if you like stuff like experimental drum&bass you just can buy anything of him it won't be wasted money. ( personally i've been blown away by the album "go plastic)

respect

Hey phunk, I really wasn't suggesting that you are lazy. I was only giving a general - and useless - comment. Sorry!

I think the real question is are you capable of his prowness and really know what you are doing? Like Rob and others said it is up to the user to learn the techniques and how to use their gears. I have to admit that software does more of the shortcuts for you. And I would go to Remix or Keyboard online mag to discover what the person was using. But to be real anyone could have the latest gear used by their favorite artist and still wouldn`t be able to use it like thier idols because of lack of TRIAL and ERROR which is how the originator discovered the style in the first place. If I were you I would try to put myself in their mindframe and EXPeriment till you came close to the sound you want to emulate.


As to your question if a manufacture made such a machine they would purposely advertise it and the creator would have millions of clones copying his sound. So it has to be all technique and mastery of your gear. Master the gear and then master the technique just like the Square guy.

P.S. don`t knock a genre of music if you have difficulty with your skill of programming just step your game up and do it be it takes 6 months or 4 years. Hardware definitely takes longer to master than software, but the difference in sound, feel, and the groove can`t be beat which is why the pro still use it and you can too. Get your mind right first.

Mos Def "How do you have high expectations with low patience?"

Hip Hop /Pop/House/Trance/Techno/Drum and Bass/ Country/All kinds

Blue Haze wrote:I think the real question is are you capable of his prowness and really know what you are doing? Like Rob and others said it is up to the user to learn the techniques and how to use their gears. I have to admit that software does more of the shortcuts for you. And I would go to Remix or Keyboard online mag to discover what the person was using. But to be real anyone could have the latest gear used by their favorite artist and still wouldn`t be able to use it like thier idols because of lack of TRIAL and ERROR which is how the originator discovered the style in the first place. If I were you I would try to put myself in their mindframe and EXPeriment till you came close to the sound you want to emulate.


As to your question if a manufacture made such a machine they would purposely advertise it and the creator would have millions of clones copying his sound. So it has to be all technique and mastery of your gear. Master the gear and then master the technique just like the Square guy.

P.S. don`t knock a genre of music if you have difficulty with your skill of programming just step your game up and do it be it takes 6 months or 4 years. Hardware definitely takes longer to master than software, but the difference in sound, feel, and the groove can`t be beat which is why the pro still use it and you can too. Get your mind right first.

Mos Def "How do you have high expectations with low patience?"

Hip Hop /Pop/House/Trance/Techno/Drum and Bass/ Country/All kinds

P.S. Check out a book called "The Complete Guide to Remixing" Produce Professional Dance-Floor Hits on Your Home Computer by Erik Hawkins.

YES you can do whatever you want on the mpc, if fact the MPC should favor something like drill and bass due to its flexibility
(a spark flyes of the velocity sensitif pads & note repeat ..

the thing about Drill and bass is that you'll need to work the trim window

alot of loops in the same sample

getting smaller and smaller

Program & audio editing 70%

seq editing 30%


& I just thought I'd paste the clip on topic:

http://userpages.umbc.edu/~jason12/mpc_clip1(hi_fi).WMV